Surgery of any kind should be a very last resort measure. This includes back surgery of any kind.
Spinal surgery though sometimes can help depending on severity, often ends up being no benefit at all and causing a lot of pain during the rather lengthy recovery phase. Common back surgeries include spinal fusion, laminectomy, foraminotomy, a discectomy, and disk replacement. These surgeries often need to be repeated in order to achieve the desired results.
While every surgeon will be up front in telling you that complications may occur during surgery, they are sometimes glossed over giving way to the hopes of the patient. Surgery and anesthesia complications can lead to extended bed rest and time out of work leading to financial loss. Issues to consider include nerve damage, bleeding, stroke, blood clots, and infections. Damaged nerves can lead to muscle weakness, loss of bladder control, dysfunction sexually, and even paralysis.
With such major potential side effects, it makes sense to consult with a chiropractor first. While they cannot help in every case, in many patients, chiropractic treatment can make a major difference in quality of life and decrease in pain level. If a non-surgical approach can work for you it eliminates both risk and downtime.
Your chiropractor will do a thorough physical examination as well as take X-rays in order to determine if care can be provided and a proper treatment plan formed.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information website states that when patients with back pain saw a surgeon first, they were 42.7% more likely to have back surgery as their form of treatment. That number compares to only 1.5% of patients who saw a chiropractor first. Along with manual adjustments other complimentary therapies such as electrostimulation, hydro-massage, manual massage, ice and heat may be applied as well as natural anti-inflammatories suggested.
Patients dealing with long term back pain often feel as if they have run out of options and that surgery may genuinely be their only answer. Even post-surgery many patients will leave the surgeons office with prescriptions for opioids and narcotics which hold a whole other host of potential health problems down the road.
If you are living with back pain and are in the Southwest Florida area we would love the chance to help. Give the office of Kaster Chiropractic a call today by dialing 239-332-2555 or visiting www.kasterchiropractic.com to learn more.
Chiropractor and Nutritionist in Ft Myers, FL
Chiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?
Kaster Chiropractic in Fort Myers, Florida can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.